CM Punk is born again in WWE. The Second City Saint returned to his longtime employer in November 2023, walking out at WWE Survivor Series in front of his hometown Chicago faithful rocking a short haircut, well-kept beard, and a white t-shirt. While minimal, the significance behind this look is legitimate, as it showcased a new version of Punk completely distinct from how he looked in AEW just three months prior. In his final months there, Punk was donning a tight buzz cut with a facial hair that ranged from stubble to a goatee. As evident by his subsequent promos and storylines within WWE, Punk left his AEW history in the past, neglecting to echo any aspect of it from either a visual or verbal standpoint on WWE programming.
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AEW Star Lent CM Punk His Gear For WWE Return Matches
While CM Punk and AEW remain separate parties today, the Straight Edge Superstar did unexpectedly integrate his former employer into his comeback WWE matches back in December 2023.
Speaking to Gabby AF, AEW Vice President of Show and Creative Coordination QT Marshall revealed that he lent longtime friend Cody Rhodes a pair of plain black wrestling trunks to give to Punk for his return to the WWE ring on last year’s WWE holiday tour.
“I get a text from Cody like, ‘Hey, do you have a pair of black trunks?’ I was like, ‘Yeah, I do, why?’ Well, something happened with Punk’s gear and he’s supposed to return at Madison Square Garden and the Kia Forum. It was his first match back for WWE,” Marshall recalled. “I give him a box with a pair of my underwear in it and he brings it, I guess he brought it to TV. I saw photos and he’s wearing trunks. I know Cody gave him a pair of his as well, so I don’t know who’s trunks he was wearing. I’d like them back. I also don’t even know that Punk even knows and I haven’t reached out.”
Punk has since brought back his trademark Chicago stars trunks and kickpads, wrestling in different color variations of that gear in his four televised matches in 2024.
“Imagine all those fans that bought tickets to the Garden, they were already mad that he was just wearing black trunks,” Marshall joked. “I remember like reading about it because of course they were like, ‘He didn’t come back in gear.’ It’s like, you don’t know the real story, you especially don’t know the real real story.”
Punk defeated Drew McIntyre this past weekend at WWE Bad Blood, bringing a bitter end to their ten-month feud. He is expected to pursue gold moving forward.
